Splitting machine



July 8, 1947. c. E. JOHNSON SPLITTING MACHINE Filed May 3, 1946 5Sheets-Sheet 1 [nven tor tTJofmson July 8, 1947. c, JOHNSON 2,423,500

SPLITTING MACHINE Filed May 3, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fnven'toh Char/esEJo/maon Jul 8, 19i7.

c. E. JOHNSON 2,423,500

SPLITTING MACHINE llllllllI-llllll 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor Filed May5, 1946 Char/9s 5 Jo/mson ?aiented .Fuly 8, 1947 SPLITTING MACHINECharles E. Johnson, Belmont, Mass., assignor to United Shoe MachineryCorporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationMay 3, 1946, Serial No. 666,995

8 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for splitting or evening sheetmaterial and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine particularlyadapted to even thick pieces of leather such, for example, as heellifts.

Leather splitting machines commonly comprise a knife or cutter, and'apair of separable rolls which feed the work to the knife. One of theserolls, commonly the lower one, is a pressure roll which is locatedbeneath the plane of the knife, is urged upwardly by heavy springsagainst a stop, and is designed to be pressed downward when the leadingend of a piece of work enters between the rolls, and to yield toirregularities in the thickness of the work while the work is beingsplit. The other roll, called a gage roll, is commonly located above theyielding pressure roll and the plane of the knife in rigid butadjustable bearings; and its adjusted position above the cutting edge ofthe knife determines the uniform thickness to which the work will besplit or evened.

In a splitting machine of this general type comprising a knife to whichthe work is fed by two cooperating rolls, it is desirable that thedistance from a plane passed through the axes of the rolls to the edgeof the knife be as small as possible. This distance cannot be zero sincewith such a position of parts there is insufi'icient clearance betweenthe knife and the rolls for the passage between the knife and the rollsof the split piece of work and of the waste split or skiving. Insplitting or evening pieces of work with machines of this kind in whichthe knife is set as close as practical to the plane which passes throughthe axes of the rolls, and the distance between said knife edge and saidplane always remains the same, there is a tendency to start thesplitting or evening out too far from the pressure roll so that thecut-is made for a short distance at first on a downward bevel before itstraightens out at the desired level. The result is a finished piece ofwork which is of substantially uniform thickness throughout its majorportion but is more or less abruptly beveled at one of its ends. Thisbeveling or nipping, as it is commonly referred to, of one end of thepiece of work'is in many instances very disadvantageous. For example,when heel lift blanks are thus split or evened, there results aplurality of heel lifts each of which has been nipped or sharply beveledalong one edge so that at this locality each lift is thinner thanthroughout its major portion; and when, for example, such heel lifts arebuilt into a heel, the height of the heel is reduced along that edge inwhich the beveled portions of the lifts lie.

The purpose of the present invention is to avoid or prevent this nippingor beveling of the leading end of the work.

It is desirable in splitting machines of this type, as has been stated,that the cutting edge of the knife be located as close as possible tothe plane connecting the axes of the rolls. At the same time, of course,there must be sufficient clearance between the knife and the rolls topermit the finished piece and the split to pass respectively between theknife and the gage roll and between the knife and the pressure roll. If

the knife is set too close to the plane which passes through the axes ofthe rolls, there will not be clearance enough for the finished stock andthe split or skiving.

In the illustrated construction, according to the present invention, thedistance between the edge of the knife and a plane passed through theaxes of the rolls is small when no work is in the machine and remains sountil the leading end of the work has entered between the rolls andcontacted with the edge of the knife. As soon as this happens and theknife is in contact with the leading end of the work at the desiredlevel, the distance from the edge of the knife to a plane passingthrough the axes of the rolls is automatically increased, properclearance is thus supplied, and the splitting out, having started atexactly the proper level, continues at the level, and the finished pieceof work thus has a substantially uniform thickness throughout.

This and other features of the invention, including certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, will be described as embodied inan illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine in which the invention isembodied;

Figure 2 is a View principally in end elevation of the machine, thepointer which indicates the setting of the gage roll having beenomitted. In Figures 1 and 2 there is no work in the machine; and 1Figure 3 is a View similar to that of Figure 2 but on an enlarged scaleand showing a piece of work in process of being split or evened.

Referring first to Figure 1, the machine comprises a frame 4 in whichare rotatably mounted two rolls, an upper gage roll 5 and a lowerpressure roll 6, The gage roll is held up by springs 1 with wedge-shapedstops carried by the roll-shaft bearings held against similarwedge-shaped stops carried by a bar 9 which is horizontally slidable ina cap piece ll, said cap piece being rigid with the frame of themachine. A hand wheel [3 may be turned to adjust the upper or gage roll,the axis of said roll remaining in fixed position when adjusted, saidadjustment serving to hold this gage roll a fixed distance above theedge of the knife (later to be described) and thereby to determine theuniform thickness to which the piece of work shall be split. The loweror pressure roll 6 is yieldingly supported on heavy springs ll, 5 Hwhich permit the 'roll to yield when a piece of work is entered betweenthe rolls. Stop-screws 16 which engage with their lower ends a bar Hi Ifast on a bearing block of the pressure roll 6 a limit the extent ofupward movement. Behind the pair of rolls (Fig. 2) is a stationary knifeor cutter l9 which rests upon afiat stationary support and is providedwith elongated slots 24 through which pass bolts 23, said bolts holdingthe knife in adjusted position. A drive shaft 25 (Fig. 1) is providedwith fast and loose pulleys, said shaft being also provided with gearswhich mesh with other gears to drive the rolls 5 and 6 in oppositedirections so as to feed the work to the knife. The teeth on certain ofthese gears mesh loosely enough to permit the vertical adjustmerit ofthe gage roll 5 and yielding movement of the pressure roll 6 which havebeen described above. The meshing of these gears is also loose enough topermit asmall substantially horizontal movement of the pressure roll 6as will be described later in connection with what is new in themachine.

Nofurther description of the general construction of the machine will begiven since machines of this general type comprising an adjustable gageroll, a yieldingpressure roll and a stationary knife are old and wellknown. Such a machine is shown, for example, in United States LettersPatent No. 894,850, granted August 4, 1908, upon an application of F. J.Nash. The parts of the machine relating to the present invention willnow be described in detail.

In the illustrated machine these parts relate principally to themounting of the lower or pres sure roll 6 for movement toward and fromthe knife'in substantially the path of feed movement of the work. Thismovement is really a swinging movement about the horizontal axis of arotatable spindle 21, but the extent of the movement is so small and theradius so long that the bodily movement of the roll 6 is substantiallyhorizontal and in the path of feed movement of the work as it passesbetween the rolls 5 and ii. The roll 6 is carried in two bearing blocks,one of which is shown at 29 in Figure 2, said blocks being slidablesubstantially vertically in the opposite arms of two forked members, oneof which is shown at 3|, which the bars 18 pass so that the pressureroll 6 may yield toward and from the gage roll 5 when necessary. Sincethe two forked members are alike, one slidably supporting a bearing 29at one end of the shaft 33 of the pressure roll 6 and the-other slidablysupporting a similar bearing at the other end of the shaft, only one ofsaid forked members will be described in detail.

- Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the forked member 3| has two uprightarms between which is slidably received the bearing 29. This bearing issupported upon the heavy spring ll which in turn rests upon a member 35,said member being in turn supported upon the end of a screw 31 which maybe turned to vary the tension of the spring. Near its lower end theforked member 3| has threaded through its base two stop-screws, and thecorresponding forked member l3! also has threaded through its base twostop-screws. These stop-screws, all of which are adapted to contact witha flat surface on stationary members, arearranged in pairs front andrear of the forked members. Of the rear pair, only one stopscrew M isshown (Figures ,2 and 3). The front These members 3| have slots throughpair 43, e3 are both shown in Figure 1. The purpose of these stop-screwsis to limit in both directions the swinging movement of the forkedmembers 3|, Hit, and consequently the bodily movements of the lower roll6 substantially in the path of feed movement of the work. In order tohold the forked members 3|, 13! to the right, as shown in Figure 2, andto permit them to be swung to the left, as shown in Figure 3, a screwb'is threaded through the base of the yokeshaped member 3! and bearswith its lower end against a washer M which is supported on the upperendof a coiled compression spring 49, said spring resting on the base ofthe machine. It will now be apparent that normally, when there is nowork in the machine as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the spring t9 swingsthe forked members 3!, E3! to the right, as viewed in Figure "2, as faras the adjustable stop-screw 4| will permit, and that, when there iswork in the machine, the forked members 3!, ml are swung to the left, asviewed in Figure 3, against the action of the spring '59, as far as theadjustable stop-screws as will permit.

Referring now again to Figure 2, in which there is no work in themachine, it will be noted that the edge of the knife is substantially inline, considered in the direction of feed movement of the work, with theupper element of the lower roll 6, and that this roll occupies itsright-hand position. At this time the distance of the edge of the knifefrom a plane passed through the axes of the rolls is somewhat smallerthan it will be when the roll has been movedto its left-hand position.

Referring now to Figure 3, which is on a' larger scale than is Figure 2,the point 5| represents the position of the axis of the roll 6 whenno'work is in the machine as in Figure 2. When apiece of work N30 ispresented to the machine, 'itsfirst effect is merelyto depress the roll6 to the level indicated by the line53QThe work is then fed forward bythe rolls until its leading end contacts with the edge of the knife.This contact either stops the work or retards it, and at that time thelower roll, driven as it is in the directionindicated by the arrow,rolls on the work. This, .of course, swings the forked members 3|, 'I3lto the left (Fig. 3) againstthe force of the spring 49 as far as thestop-screws 43 willpermit. During this movement to the left (Fig. 3) theaxis'of the roll moves to the point 55, and the splitting begins, saidpoint, in the illustrated machine, being vertically below the axis ofthe upper rolljso that a plane passed through the axes of the rolls isexactly perpendicular to the plane of the knife and at just the rightdistance from the edgeof the knife so that the splitting operationproceeds with proper clearance for the finished work and'the split-offskiving. This mode of operation, in which the lower roll is firstdepressed and then the distance from the edge of the knife to a planepassed through the aXes of the rolls is increased to the properdistance, results in obviating the former nipping or beveling of theleading end of the work.

Although in the illustrative machine the roll moves away from the knifeafter the leading end of the work has depressed the-pressure roll anditsleading edge has contacted with the edge of the knife, it should beunderstoodthatother means for increasing the distance from the edgeof'the knife to a plane passed through the axes of the rolls may beemployed, and that the in- Vention is not limited in the scope of itsapplication to the particular machine which has been shown anddescribed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pair ofrolls rotatable in opposite directions, a knife to which the work is fedby said rolls, one of said rolls being a gage roll adjustable toward andfrom the knife to predetermine the thickness to which the work will besplit, the other roll being a pressure roll between which and the knifethe split which is removed from the work passes, yielding means forpermitting the pressure roll to move away from the gage roll in responseto the entering of the work between the rolls, other yielding means fornormally holding the parts with the edge of the knife at a smalldistance from a plane passed through the axes of the rolls whereby, whenthe leading end of the work has moved forward and contacted with theedge of the knife, relative movement of separation between said knifeand plane takes place to increase said small distance, and means forlimiting this increase.

2. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pair ofrolls rotatable in opposite directions, a knife to Which the work is fedby said rolls, one of said rolls being a gage roll adjustable toward andfrom the knife to predetermine the thickness to which the work will besplit, the other roll being a pressure roll between which and the knifethe split which is removed from the work passes, the edge of the knifelying substantially in a plane extending in the path of feed movement ofthe work and passed through that element of the pressure roll which isnearest to the gage roll, yielding means for permitting the pressureroll to move away from the gage roll in response to the entering of thework between the rolls, other yielding means for normally holding theparts with the edge of the knife at a small distance from a plane passedthrough the axes of the rolls whereby, when the leading end of the workhas moved forward and contacted with the edge of the knife, relativemovement of separation between said knife and plane takes places toincrease said small distance, and means for limiting this increase.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a gage roll,a co-operating pressure roll, a knife to which the work is fed by therolls, the edge of the knife being located in the path of feed movementof the work at a small distance from a plane passed through the axes ofthe rolls, means including the work and operating substantially when theleading edge of the work has entered the rolls and contacts with theknife for increasing said distance, and yielding means operating as soonas the work has finished passing between the rolls for restoring saidincreased difference to its original smaller extent.

4. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a gage roll,a co-operating pressure roll, a knife to which the work is fed by therolls, the edge of the knife being located in the path of feed movementof the work at a small distance from a plane passed through the axes ofthe rolls, means including the work and operating substantially when theleading edge of the work has entered the rolls and contacts with theknife for increasing said distance, means for limiting said increase,and yielding means operating as soon as the work has finished passingbetween the rolls for restoring said increased difference to itsoriginal smaller extent.

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a gage roll,a co-operating pressure roll yieldingly mounted for movement away fromthe gage roll in a direction substantially perpendicular to the path offeed movement of the work, a knife to which the work is fed by therolls, the plane of the knife being normally substantially in a planepassed through that element of the pressure roll which is nearest to thegage roll, whereby, when the leading end of the work has been enteredbetween the rolls and the pressure roll thus moved away from the gageroll, the leading edge of the work contacts with the knife at thedesired location, yielding means and stop means acting up to the momentof contact to maintain a given distance between the edge of the knifeand a plane passed through the axes of the rolls and thereafterpermitting relative movement of separation between the knife and saidplane to increase said distance, and means for limiting said increase.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a gage roll,a co -operating pressure roll, a knife to which the work is fed by therolls, yielding means and a stop for maintaining a given distancebetween the edge of the knife and a plane passed through the axes of therolls while no work is between the rolls, and means operating after theleading end of the work has entered between rolls and while the work isin contact with the knife for causing relative movement of separationbetween the edge of the knife and a plane passed through the axes of therolls.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, twoco-operating rolls one of which is yieldingly mounted for movement awayfrom the other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the path offeed movement of the work, a stationary knife to which the work is fedby the rolls, yielding means at all times urging one of the rolls towardthe edge of the knife substantially in the path of feed movement of thework whereby, when the work has entered between the rolls and itsforward movement is retarded by contact of its leading edge with theknife, said last-named roll rolls on the work away from the edge of theknife, and means for limiting said movement.

8. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a gage roll,a pressure roll, yielding means for urging the pressure roll toward thegage roll in a direction substantially perpendicular to the path of feedmovement of the work, a stationary knife to which the work is fed by therolls, said pressure roll being also mounted for movement toward andfrom the edge of the knife in substantially the path of feed movement ofthe work, yielding means urging the pressure roll toward the edge of theknife whereby, when the work has entered between the rolls and itsforward movement is retarded by contact with the leading edge of theknife, said pressure roll rolls on the Work away from the edge of theknife, and means for limiting said forward movement.

CHARLES E. JOHNSON.

